Ladder.



A. HARTZLER.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 2, 1912. RENEWED MAR. 10, 1914.

1,1 3,436, Patented 0013.13, 1914. E

AARON I-IARTZLER, or eosnnn, INDIANA.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed March 2, 1912, Serial No. 681,119. Renewed. March -1 0, 1914. Serial No. 823,796. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON HARTZLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Ladder, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in ladders.

The primary object of the invention is to provide" a truss mechanism which may be manipulated to draw the stiles of the ladder together and maintain the same in rigid contact with the end portions ofthe steps which are disposed between the stiles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a truss mechanism which maybe adjusted on the face of the stiles, remote from the steps. g v

A still further object of the invention is to provide a washer plate to be disposed on thestiles to support the truss rod.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it. being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed withoutv departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the trussed steps. Fig. 3 a perspective view of the block shown in the preferred form which receives the truss rod. Fig. 4c is a sectional view of the block. Fig. 5 a plan view of the washer plate. Fig. 6 a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings: 10 designates the ladder which supports the steps 14:. The uppermost step or platform 15 is provided with brackets 16 and 17 which are formed with hooks 18, the said hooks engaging the edge portions 19 and 20 of the upper step or platform. These brackets are provided with extensions 21 to which the stiles 11 and 12 are secured, a second pair of extensions 21 pivotally supporting the prop 26. The prop 26 is provided with a transversely extending rail or bar 29 the ends of which are adapted to rotate in the standards 27 and 28 of the prop. Fixedly mounted on said bar are a pivotally supported by each of the stile members, the arms 29' and 30 and the arms 31 being connected to the rail or bar 82. The arms 31 are rigidlyconnected to the bar adjacent its end, the arms 29' and 30 having a loose pivotal connection with said bar. It will be noted that when the arms are brought to the position shown in Fig. 1 that the arm 31 will rest upon the step 14 supporting said arms parallel with said step, thereby forming a locking means which holds the prop and ladder in proper distended position.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the "locking mechanism is formed entirely of wood, presenting a neat and substantial structure which will not rust and which is sufliciently strong to lock the ladder and prop against movement relative to each other. The stiles 11- and 12 are slotted and receive plates 34: which are rhomboidal in plan and which are provided with the upstanding edge portions 35. or raised edge keeps the plate from cupping when tension is placed on the center of the plate. openings 36 which aresurrounded by the upstanding portions 37, drive screws entering the openings 36 passing through the stiles of the ladder and into the edge of the steps, thus fastening the steps to the stiles. Each plate is formed with a central opening 38 to receive the end of a truss 4.1, the opening in each plate registering with the slot formed in the stiles. The truss includes rods 42 which extend through the openings 88 in the plates, each of the truss rods beingformed with a head 40 in con tact with the boss 39 which surrounds the opening 38, in the plate, the rods extending through the slots formed in the stiles, and their inner terminals extending to a point approximately under the center of the step. Thescrewthreaded terminals 46 of the rods are received by a substantially rectangular housing 47 provided at its ends 48 with openings 43- to receivecsaid rods, the housing being of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the nuts 49 which are arranged on the screw threaded terminals of the rods. Thus as the heads 40 of the rods are rotated the same will be fed toward the center of the housing 47, the same feeding through the nuts, the nuts being retained against rotation by the side walls 50 of the housing 47. In this manner the This beading j The plates are provided with should the stiles tend to sep'aratefr'om the steps and from each other the same may be drawn into rigid contact with the end p'orL-"l:

tions ofthe steps by th e manipulation of the heads 4L0ofthe"rods, attention" being called-to the fact that these heads-are so disposed that the operator may conveniently manipulate the same to rotate. the rods.

Thehousing-LTiS providedwith the eX- tensions 51 whiclrare tapered andwhich are formed with the}reinforcing:;ribs 52, the extensions. 51 contacting with-the under face of the step thus properly supporting thehousing. on. theystep, the rods being bowed as the same are tightened. The hous. ing is, formed with cutaway portions 53 which facilitate the placing-of the. nuts .on the terminalsof the rod, thus allowing the rods to .be. readily assembled'within the housing and .the-nu'ts, applied to the same when the truss mechanism is attached to the latter. Particularattentionis called to the construction of the washer plates which are designed tov prevent their cupping when the rods are placed under tension and the fact that such plates might be used with a truss mechanism vother than. that shown in the drawings." I

Attention is called to,the fact that in a structure of this character, when weight is applied to the steps the same will have a tendency to draw the stiles in contact with the end portion of the steps instead of to separate the stiles and force, them v away from saidend portion as would be the case without the truss member, the application of the weight which isapplied to the steps particularly if applied centrally, bowing the rods and drawing the stiles together.

What is claimed is 1. A ladder including longitudinally slotted stiles, a step interposed therebetween, a coupling member bearing upwardly against the step, washers bearing against the outer sides of the stiles andbridging the slots therein, nuts within and held against rotation by'the coupling member, and truss rods inserted through the washers and. intothe coupling and nuts, said rods having heads at their outer ends. 1 I. 2. A. ladder including stiles, a. step interposed therebetween, a coupling member bearing upwardly upon the bottom of the step, nuts housed within the coupling memher, and rods inserted through the stiles and into the coupling member, said rods having heads attheir outer ends and'having their:inner ends threaded to engage the nutsfl' I 3 3. In a ladder, means connecting the stiles of said ladder said means comprising rods which extend throughsaid stiles, a coupling ;r'eceiving said rods, the. terminals of said coupling spacing. saidrods from the under face of the step, nuts arranged on the inner endportions of said rods, said coupling 7o holding. the nuts against turning, and eX-. tensions formed integral, with the coupling and contacting with the under face of the step of the ladder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 w as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presen'ceof two witnesses.

2 l f AARON HARTZLER. E Nitnessesp Y I WV. H. AOKERMAN,

. I. O. DODGE.

Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, bywaddressing the Commissioner of I atents,

Washington, D. G." 1 

